Michael B Jordan officially cast in Marvel movie Black Panther

Michael B Jordan has officially signed up to star in Ryan Coogler-directed Marvel film Black PantherBryan Bedder/Getty

It would appear that Michael B Jordan is gearing up to reteam with director Ryan Coogler for a potential third film together, as the actor is officially in talks to star in Marvel's upcoming standalone movie Black Panther. The duo previously worked on 2013 indie drama Fruitvale Station and last year's Oscar-nominated Creed.

Having finally been introduced to the titular hero in the recently released Captain America: Civil War, fans are to see Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa aka Black Panther take centre stage in his own movie, due for a 2018 release. Details about the plot still remain unknown, but the film is set to explore the struggles of juggling the responsibilities of his alter-ego and the former prince of Wakanda's ascension to the throne after his father, King T'Chaka, was killed.

Jordan is no stranger to blockbuster superhero movies either, having starred as comic book character Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four in 2014.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is unclear who he will portray in Black Panther, although one source apparently told the publication that he could appear as a villain.

Jordan might not be the only Hollywood star being added to the eagerly anticipated superhero either.

Just last week, news emerged that Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o is in negotiations to come aboard the project. However, nothing has been confirmed as yet, and considering how occupied the 33-year-old's schedule must be at the moment, given that he is filming for the next Star Wars movie, it's certainly wishful thinking right now.

Speaking about the film's casting in a recent Empire magazine podcast, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated:"[Black Panther's] will be among the best ensembles we've ever had and 90 percent of the cast is either African or African-American." Working with a script from The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story writer Joe Robert Cole, production on the film is expected to begin in 2017 ahead of a UK release date of 6 July 2018.